France selects Loft as contractor for space-based SAR program

The French government has started a new program to develop its own space-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capability under a contract with US company Loft Orbital, along with partners Thales Alenia Space and TEKEVER France, Loft announced in a press release.

The program aims to provide France with its first sovereign space-based SAR capability and represents a milestone in the development of a national radar imaging value chain. 

“With DESIR, Loft Orbital proves that its standardized infrastructure model offers an immediate response to the most critical sovereign needs,” said Pierre-Damien Vaujour, Loft CEO and Co-founder. “This contract marks a turning point: by leading this consortium, we demonstrate the maturity of new space companies ability to assuming the responsibilities of prime contractor for complex government projects, and the ability to have technology startups and large defense contractors working hand in hand on hardware development and satellite operations for sovereign systems.” 

This contract is aligned with DGA and French Space Command initiatives to foster a more agile defense space ecosystem, notably through the Pacte Espace and the Cercle de Confiance Espace.

“This is exactly the type of program where speed, execution, discipline, and operational maturity matter,” said Loft’s European GM Emmanuelle Meric. “This is a perfect example of how you can combine the new ‘space-agile’ way of working, with the more traditional way of working.”  

The DESIR program architecture relies on Loft’s end-to-end mission services and rapid integration capabilities. The demonstration will fly on Loft’s Longbow satellite platform, derived from the OneWeb constellation, which has more than 600 satellites already deployed in orbit, the press release said.